APPAEENT EFFECT OF THE WAE 63 



In 1907, for instance, 69 per cent, of the plaice landed^ at 

 Lowestoft from the deep water midway between England and 

 Holland (the C 3 area) were less than 11 1- inches in length. 

 In 1919 the corresponding percentage was about 3. ' The 

 small plaice which made up such a large percentage of the 

 catch in 1907 simply were not on the grounds in 1919, their 

 place being taken by larger fish. The probability is that the 

 small plaice are crowded closer inshore. In general, it was found 

 that the 1919 plaice were on the average over 4 inches 

 longer than the pre-war plaice.' 



All this the Ministry explained, we are told, to the Inter- 

 national Council. But none of the ' direct and detailed evidence ' 

 thus submitted finds any place in the Council's Eeport for 

 1918-20.-^ 



Of the experiments w^hich the Ministry is carrying out, by 

 far the most interesting is a repetition of Garstang's trans- 

 plantation of young fish to the Dogger Bank. The Dogger is 

 now densely populated with plaice. Young fish turned adrift 

 on it will find less room on the bottom, and less food. What 

 effect will this have on their growth ? 



The answer will be most interesting. But, even if their 

 growth on the Dogger is for the time being retarded, it will still 

 be quicker than on the small-plaice grounds, and the careful 

 planting of five million young fish every year would have 

 results which would easily be assessed by simultaneous marking 

 experiments. 



For the rest, money is to be spent on measuring fish at several 

 of the smaller ports on the south and west coasts in order to 

 ascertain the effect of a size limit on the small catch of plaice 

 landed there ; ^ to find out whether migrant plaice make longer 

 or shorter journeys now that their feeding-grounds are com- 

 paratively crowTled ; and whether overcrowding has affected 

 their rate of growth, and their condition generally. It is further 

 proposed to calculate the number of eggs produced in the 

 main spawning area ; it is hoped thus to be able in the future to 



^ But the small plaice from the area were only 39*46 per cent, of the 2,163 tons 

 landed from this area at all ports. 



2 For the comparative interests of Great Britain, Denmark, and Holland 

 in the plaice fishery, see p. 31, The European Catch. 



^ The English plaice catch (including steam trawlers' catch) was : 



Tons. 

 South coast ..... 1,085 



West coast 1,734 



East coast . . . . . . 32,145 



34 964 

 V, Table I {a), Ann. Rep. Sea Fish. (1913). 



